Bell & Howell

From the late 1910s to the late 1920s, the Bell & Howell was the most widely used camera in Hollywood studios. Its ear-shaped magazines earned it the nickname “Mickey Mouse Ears.” You may be familiar with its silhouette because the Bell & Howell is the icon used as the movie camera emoji.

Discover how this large, rugged camera changed the way we see the world. This iconic camera significantly influenced the practices of professional filmmakers. Of the six cameras on this site, it was the least portable, but it will allow you to understand, by way of comparison, the evolution of other portable cameras. In what context was it invented? How did it work? Who operated the camera in those days? You’ll find the answers to all these questions here, and you’ll be able to watch some Canadian films shot with the Bell & Howell.

Refer to the “Additional Resources” section to see a glossary of technical terms.

In the early 1900s, filmmakers were in search of more precise cameras with which to shoot their films. Enter the Bell & Howell! 

Known for its high quality, precision, and beautiful, sharp, stable images, the Bell & Howell was viewed as the leading edge in professional cameras. However, it was very heavy and difficult to transport.

Imposing, robust and made of metal, the Bell & Howell used 35 mm film and allowed operators to view their shots before recording them. They were able to frame and focus their shots using an ingenious system detailed below. This heavy camera was mounted on a tripod, enabling operators and their professional assistants to record very stable images.

From the late 1910s to the late 1920s, the Bell & Howell was the most widely used camera in Hollywood studios. Its production ceased in 1958. Several of these cameras were still in use in animation studios at the turn of this century. 

The precision and stability of the Bell & Howell made it the studio camera of choice, and it greatly influenced the practices and aesthetics of cinema. In the early glory days of silent film, it was a fixture in the major Hollywood studios that established the codes of cinema still in effect today.

The Bell & Howell was also used in Canada. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau (CGMPB) employed these cameras for both studio and outdoor shoots. Founded in 1918, the CGMPB was “the first national film production unit in the world. Its purpose was to produce films that promoted Canadian trade and industry […] It was absorbed into the National Film Board (NFB) in 1941 […] The Bureau maintained the largest studio and post-production facility in Canada.”¹ The Bureau also maintained close ties with Hollywood studios, enabling them to invest in the development of the Canadian film industry.

¹ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-government-motion-picture-bureau

The film sets were created in studio, as can be seen in the following two photographs:

The director of the Bureau, Ben Norrish, was also the director of the Associated Screen News of Canada (ASN), which was established in 1920. In those years, the ASN was behind most of Canada’s newsreels and corporate films. It closed its film production department in 1957.

The ASN owned several Bell & Howell cameras and regularly employed well-known Canadian camera operators.

Some examples of indoor and outdoor film shoots:

The Bell & Howell is named after the two men who invented it: Donald J. Bell and Albert S. Howell.

In the early 1900s, when Chicago was the epicentre of the film industry, Donald J. Bell, a projectionist, and Albert S. Howell, an engineer in a projector parts factory, decided to form the Bell & Howell Company. The company specialized in the repair of movie equipment and the manufacture of film printers and perforators. The two men undertook their business with an understanding of the limitations of the machines and the expectations of the growing professional community. Their initial specialization influenced the future designs of the brand’s cameras. Bell & Howell’s perforations became the international benchmark.

In 1912, Bell and Howell developed the 2709 Model B camera, known as the Standard Camera, whose high-performance film drive system continues to be the benchmark today. Its two claws advanced the film, and a press frame plated the film as it was exposed to light. This made it possible to achieve very precise effects at the time of filming.

The Bell & Howell Model B was the first metal camera to be widely used by studio operators.² It was a great success and could compete with the wooden Pathé Professional camera. 

^{2 Hollywood studios resembled much larger versions of Edison’s studio, which you saw on the Cinématographe info sheet.}

Approximately 1,200 of these cameras were produced in total. This model was mainly used until the end of the 1920s and the arrival of the “sound films.”³ Production of this camera ceased in 1958.

In those days, the Bell & Howell cost around $2,000 USD—equal to about $72,000 CAD today. With the addition of various lenses and accessories, the total cost could be equivalent to that of a house. Aside from some of cinema’s biggest names, like Charlie Chaplin, only studios had the financial resources to purchase such expensive equipment.

^{3 The famous Jazz Singer, one of the first “talking picture,” was released in 1927.}

Which of this camera’s features made it so professional, precise and stable?

• Its viewfinder displayed an inverted image.
• Its lens hood did not permit the insertion of filters, which consequently had to be mounted directly on the lenses.

Instruction manuals for the professional cameras of those early days are very hard to find. Training took place in the field, with experienced camera operators.

The camera was operated by camera operators and assistants under the supervision of a director. For reasons of efficiency and profitability, each person on a film set had a narrowly defined role.

Before the crank handle could be turned, several steps had to be taken to set up the camera, such as loading the film in the magazines, framing the shot, measuring the aperture, focusing, etc. 

This camera did not have a reflex finder, so once shooting began, it was not possible to see what was being filmed. However, it was equipped with a system for framing and focusing the shot before recording. A viewfinder allowed the operator to control what was recorded by the taking lens, which was located 180º from the viewing lens. It was therefore possible to frame and focus the shot through the viewfinder. The operator would then rotate the turret to place the lens in shooting mode. This produced a slight parallax (the frames were not identical), which could be troublesome when characters were close to the edge of the frame. In those cases, a special tripod was needed, or more specifically, a special tripod head, which worked in conjunction with the camera’s viewing system. The camera had two positions: one for before filming and one for during filming.

The Bell & Howell had to be cranked at a rate of two revolutions per second (like the Cinématographe). This allowed camera operators to vary the shooting speed to create accelerated effects during projections. This creative freedom was made possible by the crank. Starting in 1919, the crank could be replaced by an optional motor.

Camera operators often rested their wrists on the crank shaft extension. The camera was heavy, and because it was mounted on a tripod, there was no need to immobilize it while filming.

When the tripod was set to its maximum height, the camera storage box could be used as a step stool by the camera operator.

During the actual shoot, camera operators could not see what they were filming. Mastering the movement of the camera “blindly” was difficult and required experience. It should be noted that at that time, cameras were rarely moved, meaning that the camera operator generally remained in place while filming.

Camera operators normally operated the camera alone, but this became more difficult when camera movements were required, since they required that the tripod crank handles be manipulated. Although some camera operators succeeded in doing both, that is, operating the camera with one hand and manipulating the tripod cranks with the other to pan vertically and horizontally, assistants often carried out this task when they were available.

This implies that assistant camera operators were not in charge of the camera itself. In those days, assistants were assigned fairly simple tasks, such as transporting the camera, identifying the shots with the clapperboard, holding reflectors and marking the studio floor to define the limits of the frame for the actors. They also took notes about each shot, such as the length of the shot, the camera settings and the actors’ entrances and exits.

When assistants were asked to move the camera, they had to remain in sync with the camera operator and operate the tripod’s cranks at the speed required for the desired movement.

To make the camera more mobile, large productions would sometimes mount a Bell & Howell onto the back of a vehicle that had been fitted out for the purpose. Another option was to have the set move behind the actors, rather than move the camera.

From the outset, the Bell & Howell Company’s goal was to cater to the growing film industry. Their camera was designed and used by professional camera operators.

To be a competent professional camera operator, certain qualities were required, such as meticulousness, good concentration, strong technical knowledge, manual dexterity, resourcefulness, a well-developed artistic eye and a good memory.

As the film industry grew, men predominantly held these positions. However, a great many women also operated or made films with this camera in the late 1910s.

This motion picture glossary will help you better understand some of the terminology used.

Are you the inquisitive type? Would you like to learn more about the Bell & Howell and the filmmakers who used it? The following websites will provide you with additional information.

• The Balloonatic, co-directed by Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline in 1923. Filmed with a Bell & Howell 2709. Available in full online.
• The General, co-directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman in 1926. Filmed with a Bell & Howell 2709. Available in full online.
• The Extra Girl, directed by F. Richard Jones in 1923, with Mabel Normand in the title role. One scene shows two Bell & Howell 2709 cameras being used on a film set (from 37:33 to 41:31).
• The Gold Rush, directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1925.
• In his book Adventures with G. W. Griffith, published in 1988 by Faber & Faber, Karl Brown provides an enlightening account of the life and apprenticeship of a camera operator of the era.
• Women Film Pioneers Project
• American Society of Cinematographers
• Canadian Film History: 1896 to 1938
• Trailer for the documentary film The Women Who Run Hollywood.

Howell, Albert S. 1911. Motion Picture Machine. Patent No. 1,038,586. United States Patent Office.

Mannoni, Laurent. 2016. De Méliès à la 3D : la machine cinéma. Paris: Lienart Éditions.

Morris, Peter. 1978. Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema, 1895–1939. Montréal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Raimondo-Souto, H. Mario. 2007. Motion Picture Photography: A History, 1891–1960. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland.

Salt, Barry. 2009. Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis. London: Starword.

Shipman, Nell. 1987. The Silent Screen & My Talking Heart. Boise: Boise State University.